LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 40:29-31, He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men utterly fall.  But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

 

If I was to make a guess, I would say we all have had days when life just seems to be an uphill journey. Perhaps the uphill journey has turned into days or even weeks. Sure, we have all had them. There are elements that just cause us to be discouraged, to be unsure of what happens next in life. There is talk about recession, inflation, covid strains never ending, and foolishness of all sorts that is causing strife and unrest all around us. To focus on this can cause us to become weary; yes, the uphill climbs are all around us.

 

Life is difficult! I cannot even imagine trying to walk in the events happening around us without the Lord in my life. The events are still there, but I find comfort in His Word, my prayer time, and just knowing I don’t walk alone. All of us are going to grow tired at some time – it is part of being human. The verses from Isaiah tells us that even the young will become weary, some to the point of falling.

 

Read the verses again. Read them out loud. Those who wait on the Lord, those constantly seeking Him, those who place their trust in Him shall what? They will be strengthened! I do not read anything that indicates they might be. No, they “shall renew their strength”! Someone besides me needs to understand this today. Those who wait on the Lord is trusting Him fully with their lives. That involves looking to Him as the source of their help and grace in time of need. Did you see the promise in these verses? God promises to revive you or strengthen you when you are weary or suffering or going through a trial. He promises to give you the strength to rise above all you are going through like an eagle that soars in the sky. He promises you He will give you the strength to run spiritually without fainting or giving up when He does not rescue you right away. He enables you to walk steadily through whatever is causing weariness.

 

These are God’s promises to His followers, those who patiently trust Him to provide what they need to endure in their weakness. Those things we trust in are seemingly being destroyed or deteriorating. I read every day about retirement funds being destroyed, about the economy tanking, about rising gas prices, about, about, about. You have all read or heard about how bad things are. Are you growing weary? 1 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us that as followers of Jesus Christ our future is secure, it is “incorruptible, undefiled, unfading and reserved in heaven” because our relationship to Him is secure. That is a great encouragement to me and should be to all Believers. When we face the uphill battle of being weary, look to the Lord to be rejuvenated and for Him to give rest.

 

Go ahead and read the verse from Isaiah again. “He gives power to the weak and rest to those who are weary”! What a promise to stand on today!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Joel 2:12-13, That is why the Lord says, “Turn to Me now, while there is time! Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief; instead tear your hearts.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you. (The New Living Translation)

 

In the last two pages of the blog, I have tried to show what we are witnessing around us today is contrary to the heart of God. Protests against the ending of Roe v Wade are against His heart as I read and understand His Word. The moral decline and the deception prevalent regarding lifestyles do not line up with God’s heart. The racial division in this country does not line up with God’s heart. The beliefs of the political left in this country do not line up with the heart of God. All of us are wondering what is happening with our economy, gas prices, job opportunities, inflation, food shortages and everything else. What is happening in this country and in the world?

 

I believe our Father in heaven is more concerned with His people’s spiritual growth than He is with our physical and economic comfort. In biblical times God would use plagues of locusts, famines, droughts and other conditions to cause people to suffer as consequences of their rebellion. Today, we might not be seeing problems with locusts (at least not yet) but we are experiencing various troubles that are causing people physical and economic hardships. These hardships are seemingly getting worse.

 

Take time to read the prophet Joel’s writing. It is a warning, especially for the church, to wake up. His message is relevant to us today; we must know God’s Word, know His heart, and return to Him. The church has intertwined with the world for too long; it has thought it needed to look like the world in order to get people to come through its doors. In the process, the church has compromised the message of the gospel by watering it down, changed the worship to entertain rather than bring people into the presence of God.

 

The prophet tells us to turn to the Lord with a broken and contrite heart (read Psalm 51:17) and if we do, He will have mercy and compassion. Notice that we are to come in sincere repentance; it comes from our heart meaning an inward desire to walk with God on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. When the prophet says the Lord does not want a tearing of the clothes, he means the Lord does not want an outward appearance of repentance, it is to be an inward repentance – of the heart. That is real change from our sinfulness! God does not want to punish us, He wants to be gracious and merciful to us but that comes when our hearts are truly united with His! His promise to us comes from 2 Chronicle 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This promise is to both individuals and to nations. It has to begin with you, me and God’s people. As we humble ourselves and draw near to God, He gives us His grace to live our lives on the narrow way. In other words, God answers the humble prayers of His people that come with a repentant heart.

You and I need to be in constant prayer to live our lives as the Father desires. We must be humble and walk in faith, faithful to Him who saved us. We must be alert to the dangers of the world around us, speak truth in love, and not become arrogant as we walk the narrow way. Our nation is in need of repentance! But repentance must begin with you and me!  

 

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to Me!” Jesus  (The New Living Translation)

 

Yesterday’s blog was about the heart of God and I began with the events going on around us. My thoughts are about what God thinks about these events. He certainly has not been caught unaware. Sadly, the history of this world as recorded since the rebellion in the Garden has been continued rebellion. His people chose to follow the nations they were supposed to destroy, they began to intermarry and follow idols and false gods.  Nothing has changed as people today have decided God is no longer relevant to their lives and have chosen to follow their own beliefs and their own desires. Again, people are doing “what is right in their own lives” (Judges 21:25), ignoring the standards established by a righteous God. The warning from Proverbs 14:12 still applies, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

 

There are many things the people in the world believe to be right and true, yet, the things they believe to be right involve that which is contrary to God’s Word. We live in a world where Daniels’ prophecy regarding the increase in knowledge has come to pass. We live in a world where Paul’s description of a people who worship the creation more than the Creator has come true. We live in a time described by Paul in his second letter to Timothy as “perilous times”. We live in an age where there is tremendous division among people due to what personal choices can be made or not made; choices that are made out from inconvenience, self-centeredness, and disobedience to God.

 

Deception is all around us and continues to grow stronger each day. Jesus said in Matthew 24:12 that, “lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold.” He was speaking of the last days when there would be an unbelievable increase in immorality, shamelessness, rebellion against God. We have seen where all moral restraint has been removed. I return to Genesis 6:5, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In Luke 17:28-30, Jesus said the last days would be like the days of Lot, “Likewise as it was in the days of Lot: they ate and drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so it will be in that day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Jesus was saying that when society, when there is a collapse in the moral structure and perversion of all sorts saturate society, we shall know the last days are upon us.

 

I fear we live in times when few live with a desire for the heart of God. It is a reminder to each of us to turn from our evil ways, allow God to saturate our hearts in order to change us to be the people He desires us to be. Each day, we must strive to walk on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in His kingdom. It is a time for His followers to diligently seek Him. When we do, His promise to us is to draw close to us.  Do not be deceived by the events happening around us; our hope is found only in the Lord!

 LEARNING DAILY

John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to Me!” Jesus  (The New Living Translation)

 

I am writing this on Saturday morning; I have been thinking about the decision handed down by the Supreme Court regarding Roe v Wade. My thoughts have gone to the heart of God and what His thoughts are regarding the world you and I live in. I have tried to think about what walking with Him in the Garden of Eden must have been like before sin occurred. I have been trying to grasp what it means to have a heart after God’s. And, I have been thinking about Jesus’s words telling us that those with a pure heart will see God. No wonder Jesus said walking on the narrow way would be a difficult task.

 

In John 5:39, Jesus told the Pharisees that they read and studied the Scriptures (the Old Testament) to find eternal life. Yet, when the way, the Life, and the Truth stood before them, they did not recognize Him and were not willing to come to Him for eternal life.  The Pharisees knew the Old Testament better than anyone else; they knew the prophesies of the coming Messiah. I find it interesting when our leaders quote the Bible in order to make their particular views seem valid. It tells me that even some knowledge of the Bible is dangerous and misleading when the one speaking does not know nor understand the heart of God.

 

How does one come to know the heart of God? It comes from time spent in God’s living and active Word. How does one get to know and understand another person? I don’t believe it comes from any other way than spending time with that person listening and discussing issues face to face. In that way there will not be misunderstanding of words or voice inflection or body language. Reading, studying, meditating, praying is the only way to come to know and understand God’s heart. There is another need because the Pharisees did that, yet, they did not know the Savior. To get the full understanding of God’s Word, one must be born again and diligently seek God’s heart through His Word. When one gives their life to Christ, the Helper, the Holy Spirit helps us understand who God is and desire to be like Him. He helps us navigate the difficulties we face on the narrow way.

 

The heart of God is the very essence of who He is, His characteristics, His purpose and His desires for all who believe in Him. 2 Timothy 3:16 is important because it states that all Scripture is divinely breathed out. That means that every word of the Bible was given to men to record. It is a record revealing who God is and what He is like. Anyone who reads the Bible to gain facts about God will not grow closer to Him. Bible reading should bring the reader to worship and love God with a tremendous sense of awe for who He is.  

 

Colossians 1:15 tells us, “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.” Jesus and God the Father are one. He represents the visible representation of God’s heart. In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” Jesus is the essence of His Father.

 

James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Do you want to know the heart of God? Do you want to have a pure heart? Then spend time with Him. Do so by reading and studying His Word and by spending time in prayer. How else can you know anyone except by spending time with him/her? The only way to enjoy a deeper relationship with Him and cause our desires to come into alignment with His? I am talking about a lifetime here. The more one learns and knows about the Lord, the more he/she will long to be with Him. It is life changing!   

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 20:7, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

 

Just a note. The pathology report for Charlotte came back that the surgeon had missed a very tiny amount of cancer. So we are back for surgery this morning. I know you will take a moment to remember her in your prayer time.

 

Here is another of the things that went around the internet a few years ago. With all the things going on around us, it is comforting!

 

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6’ by 8’ and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that the buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remains prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

 

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then at once, it takes off in a flash.

 

A bumblebee, if dropped into an ordinary tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out.  It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

 

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That’s the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up….

 

Let me add to this by saying our problems might not be taken away or ended as we might desire. But, faith and trust in the One who created each of us, and knows even the number of hairs that are on our head (I know that is easier for some than others) must always be remembered. His way is always best. The other point to remember is that He is always with us through every thing we are going through. He gives comfort, peace, and calms the storms we encounter.

 

The rest of the article goes like this. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up! Live simply, love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly, and trust in our Creator who loves us!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 7:14, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.”

 

We have been told that once a person gives their life to Jesus Christ all problems cease. Can any of you tell me that this is what you found after you gave your life to the Lord? In the verse above Jesus speaks of the difficulty his followers will have as they walk the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom. Let me suggest some reasons the narrow way is difficult to walk.

 

One thing that Believers do not always expect is the enemy, Satan, doing everything he can to cause the new believer to think his experience with the Risen Savior is not true. Never forget that Satan hates you because you gave your life to Jesus. He is going to do everything he can to cause you to be too busy to read your Bible, to pray, to worship the Lord. He is going to do everything he can to cause temptations to come your way – those things that especially were sinful in your life before Jesus. He is going to try to discredit you with your peers, family, and friends. He never lets up in his pursuit of you!

 

I do not want anyone to think the enemy is the cause of every problem you have. Jesus warned His followers that because they were in the world, they would have problems. Those of the world hated Jesus and because of that, those in the world will hate His followers. I have had former friends, before I accepted Christ, that came up to me and mocked me for my new found relationship with my Savior. As we look around at the world today, we are continually bombarded by teachings that are contrary to God’s Word, continually face deceitful practices by those following worldly thoughts, and are continually being challenged to act like those who teach and practice ungodliness.

 

Here is a third cause of difficulty in walking the narrow way. It is you and me. I think of how often I have walked too closely to the edge of the narrow way. I remember even having one foot on the narrow way while the other straddles the edge and is on the broad way; one foot in and one foot out. Be careful! We cannot sin just because God forgives us when we do, Forgiveness is not a license to sin. I’m not alone, am I? We allow temptation to come because we don’t run when we should, when temptation comes. Is any of us strong enough to play with temptation? No! We had better be careful of what we look at, or where we go, and what we do!

 

Walking on the narrow way is not easy because we are constantly being attacked with opportunities to sin; sin that is often difficult to resist. Sin comes in pretty packages, opportunities for “worldly” gain. Because of that, we continue to read and study God’s Word, continue to pray, and continue to walk on the narrow way with obedience to the Lord. Temptations, disappointments, and various challenges come every day. We stay ready so when they come, we face them with the power of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength. God’s promise is to never leave or forsake us as we walk in obedience to His Word. That’s strength and power!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Titus 3:4-5 But then God our Savior showed us His kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. (New Living Translation)

 

Today’s blog was taken from an old email that went around in 2011. We just found it last night. I will add some comments at the end.

 

Today’s word is paraprosdokians. Here is the definition, “A figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation.” Here are some examples.

 

Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.

Don’t argue with an idiot. He will drag you down and beat you with experience.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

War does not determine who is right – only who is left.

I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

 

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

 

These are pretty humorous until one gets to the last one; it stands away from the others. Okay, this is not anything new and was not made to be. I have been reminded that too many churchgoers are going to be very surprised when they stand before the Lord and He checks the Book of Life to see if their name is written in it. He already knows, by the way! The devil has been hard at work with his deception getting people to believe that the good things they have done are enough to get them into heaven. He has also been very good at convincing people that God will save everyone because He is a good and loving God. The devil is slick in spreading his deception to the point that fewer and fewer people believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in God’s kingdom. Yet, to believe all one has to do is go to church, give tithes, and do good things does not make one a Christian. Romans 10:9 is very clear about the requirement to enter heaven: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.” There are many that would say this is narrow minded and I would agree. But I believe what Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 to be true, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to (eternal) life (in God’s kingdom), and there are few who find it.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 1:31a, Then God saw everything that He made; and indeed it was very good.

 

It is a Monday morning; I was up early this morning. I have little going on. My schedule is blank, just like almost every other day. What does your schedule look like? Is it full of challenges and appointments? Whatever your day looks like, I have a suggestion. Take some time to look around you and be thankful, acknowledge your many blessings. Start with your family. Take the time to reflect on all the blessings God has given to you. I think you will be amazed when you begin to consider that the blessings of God are all around you. Celebrate them; I wonder if He didn’t create these blessings just for you!?

 

When God finished every part of creation, He “saw everything He made” was not just good – “it was very good”. No, God has not changed His mind. Among all the chaos, evil, and ungodliness that sin brought into this world, His plan has been to restore creation; He has never abandoned it. Restoration will occur when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to establish His millennial on the earth. Until that time, you and I need to find joy in the blessing He has given us.

 

I doubt too many readers of this blog have gone hungry or have no shelter. I would even bet your closet is full of clothes. Blessings! Watching your kids and grandkids play in athletics and academic meets are wonderful blessings! Watching them grow up to be what God desires them to be; all blessings! Celebrating a birthday or a wedding anniversary, or celebrating something special are blessings. Watching family, friends, or your students accept Jesus as their Savior and, then maturing in their walk with Him – blessings!

 

I wonder if God smiles when one of His children opens His Word to read and study in order to know Him better? Is He blessed? When one of His children smile in awe of His majesty and just rest in Him, is He blessed? He must rejoice over the person who finally puts their faith and trust in Him. Afterall, His Word tells us the angels of heaven rejoice when one who is lost finds salvation in His Son Jesus Christ.

 

I got interrupted and listened to a little bit of radio. The news can discourage a person very quickly. I am trying to choose to focus on what God has done for me. The hope I have is centered on knowing there will be a new heaven and earth and the return to what He created. I choose to believe that God still rejoices in His creation. Psalm 104:31 gives hope, “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works.”

 

Today, take the time to give God the praise for the many blessings in your life. Write them down so you can reflect on His goodness. It will take your mind off the stuff going around you; it might even bring you to smile. God is so good all the time!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Colossians 3:21, Fathers do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

 

I realize Father’s Day was yesterday; it seems appropriate to say a few words on being a dad. My dad always cared about who my sister and I were and what we were doing. No, he never said much about it. I guess expressing such things was not the thing to do when I was a kid. But we could tell. I guess it was what they did for us -- even after we had left the house. As I look back, family always was important and we gathered in the house often. I have tried to show how important family is to my family as they have grown.

 

As much as I want this page of the blog to be uplifting and encouraging, I cannot help but think about the crisis around this country regarding absentee dads. I think about those who have left the home and the responsibility God has given them as fathers to be a part of raising the children. I know the difficulties of managing and balancing jobs that provide income for the family. It is not simply providing that can cause absenteeism; it is using the television, the iPhone and video games to entertain the children and only giving them leftover time.

 

I tried to give as much attention as possible to our girls and grandchildren. I still want to encourage and help them develop healthy attitudes that will carry them through life. I would like to influence and encourage through the leaving a legacy by showing them love and acceptance. That does not mean accepting behavior that is ungodly or unrighteous. I do want them to know I am always available. By now, I believe they know I will speak truth!

 

The verse from Colossians speaks of a father not being one who stirs up or causes problems for their children. Growing up has enough pressures and difficulties without dad being unfair or aggressive in their behavior towards their kids. I am not saying don’t be firm and don’t have expectations for their behavior. I am saying a dad should be an encourager and not exhibit discouraging behavior. I think both behaviors have a lasting effect on the children. It is important for fathers to show and teach God’s ways to their children. That’s the legacy I desire to leave my family with. What the child does with that becomes their choice.

 

I have been quite surprised how quickly the times goes by. Our daughters were just little girls not too ago. Then to our complete joy, there were four grandkids running around the house, spending the summers with me. That too passed very quickly and they too grew up. Mom and dad, grandma and grandpa still try to encourage all of them, praying God’s best for them and praying they walk the narrow road to God’s kingdom.

 

Never underestimate your role as a parent or grandparent in a world full of hurt and discouragement. Your involvement and your investment in your child’s life will live forever!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 139: 14, 16, 14) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 16) Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

 

Psalm 139 makes it clear that God cares for and is actively involved with the development of each human life from the moment of conception. From the verses written above we can see that God brings us into this life with a purpose; we are not born into this world to live aimlessly. The human body is amazingly made. It is made of billions of cells and amazing parts that only God could have created. Read the verses above again and understand the care in which God made each individual. When He made you. He gave you value and worth. God is the only One who knows you and me intimately because He “fashioned” each of us into who we are.

 

The Bridgeway Commentary writes, “Being the Creator, God has perfect knowledge of those He created. He knows their innermost thoughts as well as their physical characteristics, and has a detailed knowledge of their lives that are yet to be.” There is no way any of us can hide from Him. The DJSB notes tell us, “This is the basis for the self-esteem and self-worth for every Believer – God has made each person.”

 

The phrase “the days fashioned for me” is interesting. God does not know our thoughts and what we do, He also has a plan for our lives. His intention is for no one to perish but for each person to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (see 2 Peter 3:9). Then He expects those who do to walk on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom; part of that walk is a life of service to Him.

 

The psalmist goes on to write in verse 17, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them.” You are so important and precious to Him that He thinks of you all the time. You and I can find comfort knowing that God is constantly aware of your needs, troubles, and suffering, and He has plans for our care, forgiveness and sanctification (cleaning each of us from sin). I hope that just blesses you today and gives you encouragement to face your circumstances and situation. God knows all about it and wants you to place your faith and trust in Him.

 

With that being said, I want to say, “Happy birthday, Charlotte”! You have been “fearfully and wonderfully made”!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 107:29, He calms the storm, so that the waves are still.

 

We have always liked the sound of the rain hitting the roof; we enjoy the sound of the thunder that often comes along with that rain. There just seems to be something soothing about it. But, sometimes the storms are not so fun as they become dangerous and destructive.

 

Psalm 107 begins this way, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the enemy.” I urge you to read the entire Psalm because it encourages us to be thankful and to praise the Lord for delivering each of us from desperate and dangerous situations – the storms we face in life. The psalm is a very good reminder of what the Lord lovingly does for His children. Go ahead and take the time to read it consider what He has done for you.

 

Today’s focus is just on how He helps us when the storm(s) come. You have no doubt heard people say, “When it rains, it seems to pour!”. It refers to those times when difficulties come, they seem to come in multiple occurrences in a given amount of time. You know what I am talking about don’t you? How do you respond then? If I am not careful, I allow those times to be times of discouragement and defeat. Honestly, that is not the right response. No, this is the time to have an honest time with the Lord, to cry out to Him, and allow Him to encourage and build our faith.

 

The Psalmist is writing about those times of unexpected and possible severe times that occur in our life. I saw a bumper sticker once that said “Life Happens” and I thought it was right on. I took it to mean that there are things that occur that are beyond our control – storms. These storms seem to be right where God is doing His work. These storms sometimes come because the devil does not want God’s work to be successful. So, he tries to disrupt, confuse, and deceive, and destroy the Lord’s worker and their works. There are other times the storms are brought on by the person’s own life; bad decisions or attempting to do things for the Lord on their own. There are other times when storms come that God uses for His glory and for eternal good that you and I might not understand until we get to heaven. Romans 8:28 is a great verse, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

 

God causes the storm to be calm. The waves are still. As you and I face storms that come, we do not need to face them alone! Only God can calm the storms we see in the oceans; only God can calm the pain we face in the storms of life. You and I should follow the instructions of the psalmist when he writes in verse 31, Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”  When we do so, you and I acknowledge that only He has a solution to our situation. Give Him His due worship and praise today!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 13:24-25, Another parable He put forth to them saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”

 

In Matthew 13, Jesus is correcting misconceptions the disciples had about His kingdom. In the Parable of the Sower, for example, He was explaining that not everyone was going to accept Him and His teaching; there would be many who would want nothing to do with Him and others who would be too busy chasing after worldly things and soon would forget about Him and His Word. The next parable is a teaching about Satan doing all he can to disrupt and to counter God’s Truth.  The teaching in these parables is still very evident in the world today.

 

You have probably wondered at some time how good and evil can coexist in our world today. That this happens is confirmed each day in this world we live in. The DJSB Notes give us an idea about this. “The key to understanding this parable is to think in pairs; two planters, two plans, and two prospects.” Jesus plants seeds in good ground and fruit is produced. Satan comes and plants his seeds that become tares. They grow side by side. Satan’s plan is to destroy the fruit (wheat) through deception and false doctrine. When asked by the workers if they should pull out the tares, the reply is no so none of the wheat is pulled by mistake.

 

I think you already see the lessons to learn from this parable. But let me suggest a few. First, there will be coexistence between good and evil until the harvest comes. It is not your nor my responsibility to pull up the weeds; that does not mean we ignore sin. It does not mean we associate with evil because there is always the chance we get pulled into it. We must always be alert to the tactics the devil uses, be ready with the armor of God and stand! Our responsibility is to walk in faith on the narrow way and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

Secondly, there is a harvest coming! When it does, the tares (evil) will be pulled up and burned. Jesus will be the harvester. He will know His followers and they will be put in the barn (heaven).

 

As Christians we must understand that Jesus does not wipe away temptation, sin, and evil when we commit our lives to Him. We cannot be deceived nor discouraged by an incorrect perception about the kingdom of God. We will face temptations. We will fail (Thank you Jesus for your grace and forgiveness!)! This parable tells us that because those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ have been planted around us. You and I must live our lives by faith in Jesus and that His Word is Truth. We must walk on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. As we do, we must be praying, never ceasing to do so. Remember, that is constant communication with Him. It seems to me to do this requires us to be patient and to understand the need to walk close to Him in these days that are growing more difficult.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Samuel 7:8, So the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17, pray without ceasing

 

Samuel is now the prophet of God and is judging Israel. He emphasizes to the people an important biblical principle; if they expect to receive God’s protection and deliverance from their enemies, they must turn to Him with all their hearts and put away their idols and no longer compromise their lifestyle. Read the opening verses of 1 Samuel 7 and you will see that Israel has repented and put away the idols they had been worshipping. They have gathered together at Mizpah to fast and pray together before the Lord. The Philistines heard about this gathering of Israel and believe this to be an opportunity to eliminate Israel. The gathering enemy causes great fear for Israel and they tell Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”  

 

As Christians we continue to have an adversary; his name is Satan, Lucifer, the Deceiver, the devil. He hates every Christian because they have each professed their faith and bow down to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the true King. It is his desire to destroy every Believer, to destroy his belief in Jesus. He comes to destroy as the Philistines did. For you and me to be victorious over our spiritual adversaries as we walk the narrow way to God’s kingdom, we must be dependent on unceasing prayer to God. The people told Samuel not to cease praying. Paul in 1 Thessalonians told us “to pray without ceasing”. Prayer best not be taken lightly or taken for granted! “Prayer brings God into every aspect of our lives: our work, plans, family, problems and successes. To fail to pray opens us up to Satan’s attack and our defeat” (LSSB). Stan is not that “cute” cartoon figure with the pitchfork. He is an adversary none of us can defeat in our own power!

 

Paul’s exhortation was not a call to walk around uttering formal prayers; it was to be living a life characterized by prayer. It is to have a constant conversation with God in our hearts. This would be in all sorts of occasions that occur during the day – our conversations, our desires, our actions. You need to notice these are not emergency situations only. Our focus becomes centered on Him not ourselves and not our situations. This type of prayer is having a conversation with our Father in heaven. It is being real with Him, where we are thankful for the things He has done for us or given to us. It is prayer where we acknowledge the things He already knows and to talk to Him about the things we have messed up on (confession is good for us!). Praying without ceasing also helps us to stop worrying about things beyond our control. We all need to work on this. There is another aspect to consider – we need to stop talking from time to time in order to just be in the Father’s presence, to sense His nearness, to sense His love for us. This will help to know and understand that prayer is not about you and me; it is about God! These are some great thoughts about “praying without ceasing” from an article from Crosswalk.com.

 

Don’t wait for the enemy to come, to surround you seeking victory over you. Begin right now to pray about your personal situation, for your family, for your prodigal child or relative, about everything. The father in heaven desires to hear from you, His child, and everything that you are doing. Go ahead, take some time to just thank Him for including you in His family and that you are on the way to eternal life in His kingdom. Go ahead!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB. 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 2:15-17, Then the Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

 

Do you watch the television show about people’s funny home videos? One of the segments is about parents putting cookies or chocolate items in front of their small children, telling them not to eat them. The parent(s) then say they are leaving the room and the children are not to eat the items when they are gone. The clip then shows the struggle the children go through – to eat or not to eat that becomes the question! For some children the items are gone in seconds; for others the struggle is plainly evident.

 

We laugh but did not God do the same thing when He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden., telling Adam not to eat from it? Just like the children we face the choice of doing what God requires of us each day or doing what we want to do. We choose each day to follow God or to follow evil. I have found some days are easy to choose to follow God. But, other days … you know what I mean right?!

 

Eve did not hear God tell Adam about this tree. We do not know if Adam had told her. When she found the tree, the devil was right there to tempt her and twist the words of God. Let me be perfectly clear here (my politician voice). God does not tempt anyone with evil. He has clearly given us a free choice. Your choice every day (probably many times during the day) is choose to follow God or to follow evil. Evil exists in this world because of sin and as long as this earth exists the way it is, there will be a sin problem.

 

The command given to Adam was a moral test. Just like parents who place the treats before their children, God placed the tree before Adam as a deliberate choice between belief/obedience and disbelief/disobedience. “From the very beginning the human race has been bound to Gog through belief and obedience. That belief and obedience is to God’s Word and absolute truth” (LSSB). Didn’t God warn Adam that he would die if he was disobedient to the command regarding the truth? The choice is pretty clear that as long as Adam believed God’s Word, he would continue to be blessed by God and live in the garden. But it was clear if he was disobedient, he would reap moral disaster and death.

 

It is clear that our obedience is at the center of God’s desire for you and me! The note in the DJSB is interesting, “In Eden, God does not ask the first man and woman for love or faithfulness, only for obedience to one fundamental command, ‘If you want to walk with Me, do as I say.’” He demands and expects no more, no less from you and me!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.